


Music, Lyrics & Lattés

by akimbo628



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anxious!Dean, Barista!Charlie, Coffee, Dean flirts when he's nervous, Dean's a poet and nobody knows it, Fluff, I apologize for that tag, M/M, Musician!Castiel, Pining, Poet!Dean, Singer!Castiel, coffee-flavored kisses, coffeehouse AU, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-03-31 13:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3979750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akimbo628/pseuds/akimbo628
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester becomes a regular at Moondoor Coffeehouse when he discovers that a certain blue-eyed musician performs there on Friday nights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Want To Tell You Everything Until I Close My Eyes

It’s Friday night, and Dean is tired. Tired of the same old shift at his Uncle Bobby’s garage. Tired of the same old town he’s been living in all his life. Tired of nothing happening. He is just so _tired._

And what do people do when they’re tired? They go out and get some coffee.

This is more like a bandaid over a massive crack in a dam for Dean, but it’ll do. 

So this is what Dean does after work. He parks his Impala in front of the coffeehouse that just opened up a few months ago, Moondoor Coffeehouse. Dean has heard stellar reviews of the joint since its opening; he figured he might as well see what the fuss is all about. Perhaps make a little change to his mundane routine. _Well aren’t you the partier, Winchester._

As Dean strides into the little coffeehouse, he finds himself rather impressed. The atmosphere of Moondoor is warm and inviting. The lighting is pleasantly dim, but not dim enough to make you want to take a nap. The walls are covered in framed comic books, movie posters, and other memorabilia. There are pillow-adorned couches and beanbag chairs scattered around at every corner. There’s even a small square of a stage in the center of it all, with a stool, microphone, and spotlight on hand. _Hm, I wonder if they do karaoke nights here…_

Even though Moondoor appears to be a full house tonight, Dean doesn’t have to wait in a line to take his order. He walks up to the counter and squints at the little menu over the perky barista’s head. 

“Hi! Welcome to Moondoor! What can I get for ya?” The red-headed barista chirps, genuine enthusiasm palpable in her voice.

“Hi. Yea, um, I’m kind of new here, so I was wondering if you had any suggestions, um…”

“Charlie,” the barista says with a smile while pointing at her nametag.

“Charlie. Thanks. So, what’s good?”

“Hm…For you, I’d probably recommend the Moondoor Mudslide.”

“That one? Really? I don’t know if that’s for me…”

“Trust me, I’ve got you, dude. You’ll love it,” Charlie says with a wink.

“Alright then, I guess I’ll have a large Moondoor Mudslide.”

“For here or on the road?”

“Well, since you’re so good at making recommendations, Charlie, how about you tell me,” Dean says with a smirk.

“You learn fast, young Padawan,” Charlie muses, “Well, if I were you, I’d stick around for a bit because we’ve got quite the treat tonight,” Charlie wiggles her eyebrows.

“That treat wouldn’t happen to have something to do with that,” Dean turns pointedly to the prepared stage, “would it?”

“Aye, aye, captain! Tonight we’ve got our Friday night regular for entertainment, our very own sultry yet melancholic heartthrob, Castiel Novak. He likes to play angsty cover songs on his guitar.” As Charlie speaks, a man with mussed up brown hair—presumably Castiel—takes the stage and begins to tune his guitar and test the microphone. Dean can’t see the musician too well from where he’s standing, but he doesn’t have a problem noticing the way his black skinny jeans hug his firm butt, or how the sleeves of his collared shirt are rolled up in such a way that his forearms look too good to be exposed legally in public. 

Dean suddenly realizes that he’s been holding his breath since Castiel approached the stage. Once he remembers how to exhale again, he mutters, “I—I might stay for a little while.”

“That’s what I thought. I can see that you’re enjoying the show already,” Charlie notes with a wink.

Dean’s face turns scarlet as his eyes go to the floor. “What? Me? Nah, I—I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Whatever you say, Padawan…Enjoy your drink!” Charlie says with a smile.

“Thanks,” Dean relaxes slightly to her kindness, “The name’s Dean, by the way.”

"Dean. I like it!” She punches Dean’s arm playfully. “Did we just become best friends?!”

“Don’t listen to her, she says that to everyone,” says a deep, gravelly voice behind Dean. He turns around only to discover that the voice, naturally, belongs to Castiel Novak. 

Dean suddenly forgets how to breathe again, because Castiel Novak is even more stunning up close. His body appears to be even more prominently chiseled at this distance. It’s obvious that Castiel hasn’t shaved in a few days due to the thick stubble on his face. His eyes are such a piercing blue that Dean is immobilized when he is under their gaze. His eyes, regardless of their brightness, look tired, fatigued. Castiel’s crooked smile is dazzling and bright. It’s something he wants to see on Castiel always; he hopes that the beautiful man in front of him would never have a reason to not smile.

“Psh, whatever, Cas. I mean it with this one. Dean looks like a goodie.” Dean is broken from his dumbfounded reverie when Charlie says his name.

“Dean, huh? I’m Castiel. Nice to meet you,” Castiel says as he extends his hand.

Dean shakes his hand reluctantly, knowing his palms are sweating from the exchange as is. “You too, man.” _C’mon, get your act together! You’re choking! Say something! Anything!_ “You sure look like an angel, but can you sing like one?” _Smooth. Real smooth._

Charlie mouths “nice” as Castiel emits a nervous chuckle and says, “Well, I don’t know about that…”

Dean blushes crimson as Castiel heads toward the stage to finish his sound check. Was the lighting off, or was he blushing too?

“Well, I’m going to pretend that that didn’t happen and I’m going to be heading out now,” Dean said in a rush, not wanting to think about the how close in proximity he was to flirting with the gorgeous man wielding a guitar on the stage.

“No, wait! You can’t…” Charlie stalls as she looks around frantically for an excuse to keep Dean where he is, “You ordered your drink for here, so it’s in a mug! You wouldn’t steal a mug from me, would you?” Charlie makes puppy dog eyes to seal the deal, just to be sure.

Dean rolls his eyes and sighs. “Fine. You win this round.” He begins to walk towards a couch in a corner far, far away from the stage.

Charlie beams as she waves at Dean, “Thanks for grabbing a mug at Moondoor! Peace out, bitch!”

“Yea, yea.”

As Dean sits down with his now lukewarm coffee, he begins to relax a little once more. He takes a reluctant sip from his mug. _Damn, that’s some good coffee._ Dean downs his beverage with a few gulps until he hears Castiel’s deep voice as he introduces himself to the crowd. 

Then Castiel begins to sing, and that was it. 

Dean was hooked.

Cas was obviously skilled with his guitar; he didn’t miss a chord despite the tempo of the song. His voice was as smooth as velvet, and the verses he sings break Dean’s heart. Castiel was so passionate about every word, they might have well have been his own words sung straight from his soul.

Whatever was going on in Cas’ head, even his heart, he wanted it. Dean wanted all of it.

Dean had to come to Moondoor more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that I had in mind for Castiel to play onstage was Bad Reputation by Freedy Johnston.
> 
> Chapter title comes from the same song.
> 
> Please let me know what you think so far! Comments are always appreciated!!


	2. I See Your Face And My Mind Is A Drive Away

Dean finds himself making a habit of visiting Moondoor Coffeehouse every Friday night. _God I hope I don’t get fat off these mudslide things._ Despite it being almost a month since their last encounter, Dean still had not mustered up the courage to talk to Castiel again. While he was dying to talk to Castiel, Dean felt as if he got to know the mesmerizing, blue-eyed man through the songs he played. For now this has been enough for him.

Until tonight.

Dean decides that life is too short to cower in fear and not go after what you want. Tonight was the night that he was going to march into that coffeehouse and pin that gorgeous, blue-eyed son of a bitch to a wall and—

”Hello! Dean, isn’t it?”

_Well, shit._

There was Castiel, leaning against the wall like a sex god as he tuned his guitar. He was wearing blue jeans that hung low on his prominent hips with a shirt that left little to the imagination. He was smiling warmly at Dean, waiting for his reply.

_He’s waiting on you, man! Say something, for crying out loud!_ ”You really know how to strum a chord, feel free to strum mine anytime!” _What. Was. THAT?!_

Before Castiel has time to react, Dean runs into the bathroom to hide in shame. He splashes his face with water from the sink, completely ignoring the mirror, for he could hardly bear to look at himself. _I’m such an idiot._

He hears the muffled sound of two voices, presumably Cas and Charlie. The voices then begin to laugh. _Oh great. Now I can never show my face here again._

Dean eventually leaves his sanctuary that is the bathroom and heads for the door, hoping that no one would notice him as he tries to make his escape.

”Hi, Dean! You want the usual?”

_Of course._ ”I actually think I’m going to head out early tonight, Charlie. Thanks though,” Dean says hastily as he reaches the exit of the coffeehouse.

”This isn’t about you making a pass at Cas, is it?”

This stops Dean in his tracks, with his hand on the doorknob. He rests his head on the door, looking down at the floor with a face more red than a tomato.

”I wasn’t making a pass at Cas.”

”I don’t know about you, but where I come from, asking for someone to ‘strum your chord’ definitely qualifies as flirting, Dean.”

Dean sighs in defeat. He looks around the coffeehouse—which happens to be dead at the time being—, feeling conflicted between hoping and dreading the gaze of a certain pair of blue eyes. “Did he leave because of me?”

”Of course not, silly. He just went to get some equipment from his car. He’ll be back in ten minutes tops.”

”Maybe I should head out before he gets back then. I don’t want to bother him or make him feel uncomfortable,” Dean says as he begins to turn the knob.

“Dean, wait. Come talk to me. Please?” When Dean turns to face Charlie, she has pleading eyes as she pats a spot next to her on the closest couch.

Over the time that Dean has been frequenting Moondoor, he and Charlie had actually become rather close. They’re practically family now. So how could he refuse?

Dean shuffles over to Charlie and sits beside her. Charlie puts a comforting arm around him and pats his back. “What’s up with you, dude?”

”It’s just…I don’t know. It’s just Cas. He’s uh…he’s just so…”

“Dreamy?” Charlie shoots Dean a sympathetic smile.

Dean hunches his shoulders defensively, exclaiming “No!”

Charlie stares at him expectantly until he caves. “Alright…maybe.”

”Then why don’t you just try talking to him?”

”You want to know what happens when I try talking to him? What I said fifteen minutes ago is the kind of crap that comes out of my mouth!” Dean buries his head in his hands. “I’m hopeless. He probably thinks I’m an asshole.”

”Hmm, I’m not so sure about that, Dean. Ya see, I can’t help but notice the way he looks at you when he’s singing his achey-breaky love ballads. I think he likes you.”

Dean’s forehead wrinkles in confusion and shakes his head. ”Stop bullshitting me, Charlie. It isn’t helping.”

”I’m not bull—Fine. Well, even if I _was_ wrong—which I am 99.9% sure that I’m not—, Cas is the sweetest guy I know. He would understand.”

”You…You really think so?” Dean lifts his face up to look at Charlie, his emerald green eyes filled with mostly fear, but also with a glimmer of hope.

”Dude, I absolutely know so!” Charlie gives Dean a big hug before rising from her seat. “Now who wants some coffee?”

”I’d love some, if you don’t mind,” a gravelly voice calls from the doorway. It’s Castiel, showing up just in time before Dean loses his nerve. _How dare that beautiful asshole show up with that gorgeous face right now._ He’s glances over at Dean with a small yet genuine smile. Dean figures it’s either now or never.

_Well, here goes everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Cas be understanding, or will he push Dean away? Find out in the next chapter!
> 
> Chapter title comes from the song Breathe by Taylor Swift.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated!!


	3. Nothing Lasts Forever But The Earth And Sky

Dean conjured up what courage he had left in him and walked over to Castiel. He realizes—too late, to his dismay—that he stopped pushing his feet forward mere inches from the other man, almost bumping into his chest. _Well that’s totally not creepy of me…_ However, to Dean’s surprise, Cas did not back up or look the least bit uncomfortable.

”Hey Cas, uh,” Dean took a step back and rubbed the back of his neck, “can we talk for a sec?” 

“Surely, Dean,” Castiel says with inquisitive eyes but still with a sweet smile.

Charlie eyed the scene before her and started to bounce excitedly with a huge grin on her face. “You know what Cas? I’m an idiot! I’m completely out of—,” she searches her counter frantically, “cups! How can I make you coffee without cups?! I’ll be in the storage room, looking for cups! Might take a while!” With that, Charlie is out of sight.

Dean and Castiel stare where Charlie once was a second ago, neither of them missing that the counter was fully stocked with cups.

”Charlie,” both say with the shaking of heads and the rolling of eyes. The men look at each other in shock and laugh lightly at their simultaneous reaction, faces now set ablaze with red.

After almost a solid minute of thick tension filling the air, Cas speaks. “So, what do you want to talk about, Dean?”

”What do I want to talk about? Cas, I haven’t exactly been the most articulate…”

”What you said earlier? _That’s_ what you’re concerned about? Don’t worry about it, it’s fine,” he says with a shrug.

”Fine?”

”Perfectly so. Charlie explained it to me.”

 _Of course. Thanks, Charlie._ “Wha—what did she say?”

”Nothing I couldn’t figure out for myself. Small talk’s just not your strong suit.”

 _Well that could’ve been worse…I was expecting something more on the lines of “Charlie told me that you have a huge crush on me. How cute.”_ “Is it that obvious?”

”Don’t worry about it, I understand. Not everyone communicates the same. Like me, for example. I’m not a good talker myself. I really communicate best through music. When I’m up there on that stage, my heart is on my sleeve. That’s when I can truly get my message through to people. You just have to find your niche."

Dean considers this for a moment. He decides to go out on a limb and ask, “So, what’s your message then?”

Cas tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, “Obviously you haven’t been paying much attention, Dean.”

 _Is that disappointment in his eyes?_ “Oh no, I’ve been paying attention. I listen to you sing every week, I—“

”With your heart or with your ears?”

”What?”

”Next time I sing, I want you to really listen with your _heart_ , not your ears. _Feel_ my music, don’t just hear it. Then you’ll get my message loud and clear.”

”Alright, alright. I’ll _feel_ the music.”

Cas seemed to relax himself then. “Thank you, Dean. I appreciate that.”

”No, Cas, thank you,” Dean says with an embarrassed smile.

”For what?”

”For understanding.” Dean feels so vulnerable in this moment that Cas could crush him like a grape with a simple laugh at his expense.

Instead, Cas’ mouth blossoms into a gorgeous yet sheepish smile and says, “You’re not that hard to understand, Dean.”

Dean and Castiel stand where they are for a while, just staring into each other’s eyes. Then, the men hear a loud crash out by the storage room. A lonely cup rolls across the floor, coming to a full stop when it hits Dean’s shoe.

”The coast is clear, Charlie. You can come out now,” Cas says with a smirk.

Charlie steps out into vision, holding stacks upon stacks of coffee cups. She gives Dean and Castiel a pouty puppy dog look, with the aura of pure innocence.

”…I found the cups.”

”We can see that,” Dean says as he and Cas exchange sympathetic glances with one another.

Charlie did not miss the exchange, and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. ”So…The usual for you both?”

”That would be great, Charlie. Thanks,” Cas says with a smile as he picks up his equipment and starts to set up the stage.

…

Later that night, Moondoor is a full house, as usual on Friday nights.

When Castiel performs tonight, Dean decides to listen to the songs with his heart, as Castiel had requested.

First of all, he had a very interesting selection of music to play tonight. He started off with some Kansas, and then dabbled into some Taylor Swift. _Classic rock_ and _T Swift?? I’ve got to have him!_

But Dean gets his message loud and clear.

Sure, he had noticed that Cas’ choice of songs to perform were always somber. But when he looked into Cas’ eyes as he held onto his guitar like a vice, Dean knew that Cas was dying inside, and his heart was breaking. Cas had stories in his eyes, and Dean wanted to know every single one.

He wanted to know Cas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs that Castiel performed were Breathe by Taylor Swift and Dust In The Wind by Kansas.
> 
> Chapter Title comes from Dust In The Wind by Kansas.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated! Let me know what you guys think so far!!


	4. You've Opened Up Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone wondering about what's on Castiel's mind? Well, wonder no longer! This chapter is completely from the POV of Castiel.
> 
> Enjoy!

Cas really wanted Dean to know him. The real him.

Castiel had really hoped that what he had said to Dean earlier had carried some weight. He wanted Dean, and only Dean, to understand what’s going on in his heart, the words that he chokes on when he tries to speak them. And yet, Cas is afraid for someone to know him at his most vulnerable.

He knows that he hasn’t played a happy song in months, not since _her_. Cas doesn’t like to talk about his past, the reason he ran away to a small town in Kansas in hopes of escaping the pain of losing someone he thought he was going to be with forever.

_Meg._

Her warm brown eyes still haunt his dreams, even though they had no place being there. She had left him, practically abandoned him really. They were happy for a while; they fell in love fast and hard, moved in together, the whole nine yards—Castiel had even bought a ring. But then Meg got into drugs, and she could not and would not let go. Cas tried to help her, he tried to be supportive, but it would only made Meg angry and restless. So, one night while Cas was sleeping, she packed her bags and left. No note. No text. Nothing.

He couldn’t stand to face his friends or his life after that, everything at home reminded him of her.

Castiel had died that night.

Or so he had thought.

Ever since that beautiful man with the shy smile and dazzling green eyes walked into that coffeehouse, Castiel’s life was changing. It was slowly getting easier to get through the weeks, knowing that Dean would be there to see him at the end. Dreams of brown eyes were more frequently becoming dreams of green.

Cas had trouble opening up to people in this new town. He even held back with his closest friend in the area, Charlie. He was just so afraid of letting people in. Every time someone tried to get close, he finds himself running away.

But Castiel is _tired_. He refuses to run anymore.

Not from Dean.

Something in Castiel made him feel like Dean was different, that he was special. Whatever this was, he didn’t want to let it go.

Plus, the way Dean flirts with him is so damnably cute, how could he pass him up?

…

Another week flies by, and Cas finds himself reluctant about leaving the parking lot by Moondoor. He looks into his rearview mirror as he does some cleansing breaths, in hopes of calming himself. This seems to be a weekly ritual for Cas now, not because he had to perform in front of a crowd of people, but because a certain green-eyed, plaid-wearing man happens to be that crowd.

Castiel eventually peels himself out of his car and grabs his guitar and equipment. As he slams his trunk shut, he notices a black Impala a few spaces away from his own car. _He’s already here. Damn._ He even came earlier this time just to avoid this; he didn’t want to be fumbling over his equipment while he did sound checks every time a pair of green eyes looked his way.

With bated breath, Castiel walks into the coffeehouse and immediately needs to catch his breath.

There stands Dean, presumably waiting for his coffee, looking gorgeous as usual. Tonight he’s wearing an olive green, tightly fit tee that not only made his biceps bulge out of the sleeves, but also made his eyes pop. His dark blue faded jeans hugged him in all the right places.

Cas’ mouth was suddenly dry.

”Hiya, Cas,” Dean says with a genuine yet shy smile.

When he eventually finds his voice, he involuntarily licks his lower lip and mutters out a “Hello, Dean.” And so the habitual staring contest commences.

Charlie looks at the two with a smirk on her face. “Well howdy there to you, too, Cas.”

Cas is suddenly broken out of his reverie, remembering to keep his cool. He gives Charlie a wry smile. “You’re hilarious, Charlie. Hello.” Charlie rolls her eyes and hands Dean his drink before going back to cleaning the counters.

Castiel walks up to the stage and sets his equipment down when he suddenly feels a presence behind him.

“Cas?”

Cas doesn’t need to turn around to know who it is, but he turns around anyway. This is a mistake, for now the two are a mere few inches from each other. Cas’ eyes widen in shock from the proximity, but he doesn’t back away. “Yes, Dean?”

“You remember last week, when you said that everyone has their own way to communicate?”

Cas looks down to hide a smile, remembering the last time they talked. “I do.”

“Well…I found mine. A long time ago, actually,” Dean says, becoming blatantly flustered as he takes a folded piece of paper out of the back pocket of his jeans, “I write poetry. Been doing it since high school.”

“Oh?” _Is it possible for this man to get any hotter?_

Dean rubs the back of his neck nervously, seeming to purposefully avoid eye contact with Castiel. “Yea, I’ve never really told anyone about it. I used to submit some stuff anonymously to literary magazines in high school and college, but that’s as far as I went with it.”

“I think that’s amazing, Dean, putting yourself out there like that,” Cas manages to say as he eyes the paper in Dean’s hand curiously.

The other man is tomato red as he looks away bashfully. “Y—Yea, I’m just trying to say that I totally get what you mean when you say that you communicate best through your music. But with me, it’s poetry,” Dean’s voice gets smaller as he reluctantly hands the paper over to Castiel, “which is why I—I wrote something for you.”

Castiel stood there, dumbfounded as he took the poem from Dean. He didn’t know what to say. “You did?”

Dean still couldn’t spare more than a glance at him. But when he made that millisecond of eye contact, Castiel was set ablaze inside. “Well…Since you told me to listen to your music with my heart, I figured it was only fair that you read my poetry with yours.”

Still at a loss for words, Castiel’s head spins as looks for the right thing to do or say in this moment. _Do I read it now? Do I thank him?_ He decides on the latter. “Thank you, Dean. I—I don’t know what to say.”

Dean’s eyes finally lock into his, unwavering for the first time in the past few minutes. He has a pensive look on his face, as if he was considering something. “Before you read that, can you tell me something?”

Cas suddenly feels uneasy. “Depends.”

“What if it involved me asking if I was hearing right when I listened to your music—with my heart, of course, like you said?”

Cas takes a deep breath before he says, “Sure, Dean.”

“I don’t mean to overstep my boundaries or anything, but…it seems like…uh, I don’t know,” Dean looks away again, yet shifting his weight closer—it was a miracle that they could get any more closer—to Cas slightly, “It seems like you’re hurting. Like something is…broken…in you. Am I wrong?”

Cas’ jaw tightens as his resolve falters. He closes his eyes as he feels them begin to water.

This freaks Dean out completely. He puts his hands gently on Cas’ shoulders as he says frantically, “I’m so sorry, Cas! I shouldn’t have said anything! Pretend I didn’t say anything, okay?”

Cas takes another deep breath and calms down slightly as he manages to cut Dean off. “No, Dean. You’re right. You’re right. It’s just—it’s just hard for me to talk about.”

Dean’s expression immediately switches from remorse to pain and a hint of anger. He doesn’t loosen his hold of Castiel. “Who hurt you, Cas?”

Cas’ mouth makes a thin line as he considers what he’s willing to share. “Let’s just say that someone very important to me didn’t feel the same anymore.”

Dean considers this for a moment, and then says as he pats him on the back, “Well, whoever she—or he—is, they obviously weren’t smart enough to know what they had.”

Cas and Dean then just stare at each other for awhile, neither of them knowing what to say next. Right when Cas is about to speak, Charlie whistles to get his attention. “Yo, Cas! You’re on in five!”

Suddenly, the men become aware of their surroundings. Moondoor is packed to the brim, filled with the chatter of people and the clanking of mugs.

Dean is now the first to speak after their period of silence, “I better let you get to it then. Good luck out there.” He pats Castiel on the shoulder one last time before he starts to head back to his usual couch.

Unwilling to let him go just yet, Castiel grabs Dean by the wrist, asking, “What about your poem?”

”Uh, just read it later. I can wait.”

Cas accepts this and releases his hold on Dean. Then, he remembers the kind words that the man in front of him had just said.

”Oh, and Dean?”

Dean turns around again, his eyes interlocking with Cas’.

”Thank you.”

With that, Dean smiles warmly at Cas before he walks over to his seat. Cas places the poem in his pocket to read later, and he picks up his guitar.

…

Later that night, when the coffeehouse finally cleared out, Cas finds himself sitting in his car once more. He’s more nervous now than he was earlier tonight.

Because he has to read Dean’s poem. The poem that Dean had written. The poem that Dean had written _for him_.

Cas has been staring at the folded piece of paper in his hands for a solid ten minutes now, too frazzled to read its contents. Maybe it was better that he had this time to read it now rather than in front of Dean, though. But Dean really didn’t give him that option anyway. Dean had practically _ran_ out the door as soon as Cas was finished with his performance.

Maybe, just _maybe_ Dean was nervous about this, too.

Castiel finally held his breath and unfolded the piece of paper. _Well, it’s either now or never._ He began to read…

__

> _He understands the dead language_
> 
> _That is encrypted in my soul_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _He fixes every hemorrhage_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _With his open eyes, ears, and heart_
> 
>  _  
> _
> 
> _He reads into each word,_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _Interpreting my heart_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _Never thinks me absurd_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _Even when I’m unsure_
> 
>  _  
> _
> 
> _The time he has taken_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _To decipher my code_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _I could be mistaken,_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _But this could be from love_
> 
>  _  
> _
> 
> _Perhaps this will be uncovered_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _One day I could also decode_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _The words on your heart you’ve covered_
> 
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> _This could lead to our salvation.~_

_  
___  


____

…Castiel was speechless. How could these words, these honest, kind, adoring words be for him?

He knew that his face was hot and that he was wearing a goofy smile. He might have thought that Dean had liked him a little, but _wow._

Castiel also knew that he felt the same. 100%.

Cas needed to do something in return, something that would show Dean exactly what he felt for him.

He considered this on his drive home. Then the perfect song began to play on radio as he pulled into his driveway.

Cas knew what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the song All I Need by Within Temptation. Poem is mine.
> 
> What's Cas going to do?? Find out in the next (and probably final) chapter!
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated!!


	5. I Think You Should Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I am so soo sooo incredibly sorry for taking ten years to update this fic! I have no excuse, and I am ashamed. Forgive me.  
> Second of all, yes, I did change the title. This is because the story kind of had a mind of its own and changed course as it was written, and I feel that this title suits it better. Plus, I'm very fickle about titles. My bad.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! There will be a very short epilogue after this, and it's already written! So no waiting! Yay!!

On the following Friday evening, Dean tentatively pokes his head through the entrance of Moondoor before he steps inside. He isn’t really sure what to feel when he doesn’t find a certain pair of blue eyes greeting him when he enters. Hell, he didn’t know what to feel on his way to the coffeehouse either. Or during work that day. Or the day before that. Or the day before that…

Dean had felt such a rush of anxiety mixed with illogical hope when he had given Castiel that poem. He had bled his heart out on that thing, and something in him had told him that only Cas could ever really appreciate such a token. 

Part of Dean was terrified by what he had done, however. What if this freaked Cas out? What if this scared him away? What if Dean had read the signs wrong and—once again—ruined everything? Only time would tell, he had to assure himself.

_Well, today is the day._ Either Cas would reciprocate his feelings, vehemently reject him, or ignore him altogether.

Or he could just not show up at all.

And seeing that the perpetually early Castiel was already five minutes late, those odds seem pretty high.

Dean’s disposition sags slightly at the thought as he heads over to the counter where Charlie is currently making a latte for the solitary customer in line before him. When Dean is next to order, Charlie’s demeanor visibly brightens. “Winchester! It’s good to see ya! You know, you’re such a loyal regular I oughtta throw an apron on you and make you my handmaiden back here. I need the extra hands anyway,” she offers with a wink. 

“Very funny, Charlie. You know I can hardly walk in a straight line let alone make one of those macchiato things properly,” Dean retorts with a smirk.

Charlie feigns disappointment with a sigh. “Oh well. A girl can try. The usual?”

“You got it,” Dean’s eyes search around the shop once more for the man with eyes like heaven and the body of an angel, “Hey, Charlie, quick question?”

“Shoot,” the perky redhead calls as she starts up her espresso machine.

“Cas is still performing tonight, right?”

“Unless he’s angered some Norse god or has been whisked away to take the hobbits to Isengard, he should be. Why do you ask?”

Dean releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Well, he’s not here yet, so I was just wondering…”

Charlie rolls her eyes as she hands Dean his coffee. “Don’t worry, lover boy. Cas will be here soon,” she says confidently. This doesn’t stop her, however, from squinting quizzically and pursing her lips as she surveys the room.

“That’s real comforting, Charlie. Thanks.” Dean’s jaw tightens as he takes his coffee and sits in his usual spot, visibly on edge. Charlie sighs inwardly and goes back to taking orders. She figures that the fate of those adorable idiots rests in their hands at this point.

_Fifteen minutes late. That can’t be a coincidence._ Just as Dean is about to give up hope and leave while he still has an inkling of dignity, Castiel tumbles through the door, practically tripping over his guitar, and heads for the stage. Even in his apparent haste, however, Castiel still manages to look Dean’s way and flash him a dazzling smile.

Cas takes the microphone onstage after he catches his breath. “Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m so late. I got a little caught up in preparing for tonight that I lost track of time.” Even when he’s out of breath, Cas still manages to have a voice dripping with sex.

Castiel picks up his guitar and holds it like a cross at an exorcism. His eyes dart to Dean and then back to the crowd repeatedly as he speaks. _Is he…Is he nervous?_

“So the song I’m about to play is for someone special,” the crowd “aww’s” and whistles at this, “Yea, yea, get it out of your systems.” They laugh as Dean’s throat goes dry. _Easy, Winchester. This couldn’t possibly be about you. He probably has someone, and you’re a big dope. What else is new?_

“Well, anyway, here’s _Wonderwall_ … Nah, I’m totally kidding.” The crowd is eating him up, laughing and clapping. _Cas has never joked around this much with the crowd, I wonder what’s up with him…_ Dean begins to take a few gulps from his coffee cup.

“Alright, for real this time…” Castiel begins to strum the chords on his guitar, making a soft, sweet melody that perfectly accompanies his velvet voice.

>   
>  _Honey you are a rock_
> 
> _Upon which I stand_
> 
> _And I’ve come here to talk_
> 
> _I hope you understand_

The song definitely doesn’t seem like Castiel’s type of music, but Dean loves it anyway. How could he not love something that has Cas so enamored by its beat and its verses? Even if those verses aren’t meant for him. He considers this sadly as he continues to chug down his coffee.

>   
>  _Green eyes_
> 
> _Yea the spotlight_
> 
> _Shines upon you_

Dean chokes mid-chug.

>   
>  _And how could anybody deny you_
> 
> _I came here with a load_
> 
> _And it feels so much lighter now I’ve met you_
> 
> _And honey you should know_
> 
> _That I could never go on without you_
> 
> _Green eyes_

Dean’s face turns scarlet as his eyes nearly pop out of his head. He must have spilled his coffee because Charlie is cleaning the cushion beside him with a rag.

This must not have gone unnoticed by Castiel because now he’s pretty red himself now. He’s wearing a huge, beaming smile, and he’s staring at Dean oh so intently as he continues to serenade him. The crowd doesn’t miss this either; almost everyone in the room follows Castiel’s eyes. While some of the customers wear knowing smiles or snicker, no one dares to disturb this increasingly intimate moment between the two. 

>   
>  _Green eyes_
> 
> _You're the one that I wanted to find_
> 
> _And anyone who tried to deny you must be out of their mind_

Castiel sings with more bravado like never before as he and Dean say everything that needs to be said through their unbreakable eye contact. Dean is petrified by Cas’ stare, frozen in place like a statue. For all he knew, they were the only people in the entire coffeehouse, the entire world, even.

Before Dean realizes it, Cas finishes the song and Moondoor erupts with applause. And before anyone realizes it—including Dean—, he’s running up to the stage and taking Cas’ face into his hands and kisses him until the whooping and whistling is traded in for awkward coughing and clearing of throats.

But neither Dean nor Castiel care.

For in this moment, neither Dean nor Castiel are lost in translation.

As they melt into their first embrace, they begin to decode the broken languages spoken in their hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Castiel serenaded Dean with is, you guessed it, Green Eyes by Coldplay. This is also the inspiration for not only the chapter title (*cough*the old title*cough*) but also the entire fic. I just had to do something with this song for my OTP, so here it is!


	6. Epilogue

And so Dean and Castiel never find themselves feeling tired again. 

In fact, they always seem to be quite awake. 

Blame it on new love, blame it on coffee-flavored kisses on lazy summer days and icy winter nights. Whatever it is, it never seems to falter.

Dean does take up Charlie’s offer eventually; her reasoning did seem sound. Cas tackles a few shifts himself, which is definitely a bonus. And for the first time in his life, Dean actually loves his job. And his hometown. And his life. He’s actually been so damn happy lately that it’s almost sickening.

_Almost._

Dean and Cas also decide to collaborate on something else: with Dean’s skill with rhyme and verse and Cas’ voice of silk and moves with a guitar, Cas’ performances exceed Moondoor. Before they know it, Castiel is singing original music at almost every bar and shop within a ten mile radius.

But Moondoor will always be their favorite place.

Because it’s _their_ place.

It’s where they began.

And, hopefully, it’s where they’ll never end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all, folks!! I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> My tumblr is akimbo628, just like my pseud ;) just in case you want to drop by sometime..


End file.
